ian mac
08-02-2012, 02:13 PM
Congratulations to Ye Shiwen on her amazing 400 IM swim. As is common when the uncommon occurs in sports, unfortunate aspersions have been cast on her great swim. Given documented steroid use by German, Chinese, Canadian, American and athletes of many other nations in past Olympics any time something exceptional happens, there will be the skeptics who immediately hint at artificial enhancement.
As someone who still cherishes the beauty and pureness of sport and has had the good fortune to watch several friends and competitors win medals at the Olympics through a combination of sheer hard work, mental preparation and will I believe that Ye Shiwen's race is a breakthrough for swimmers.
Given Terry's constant assertion that in order to swim faster 1 of 3 things must occur: we increase propulsion, decrease drag or a combination of the above. Perhaps Ye Shiwen has developed her swimming technique in such a way through decreasing her drag that several things happened: by swimming more efficiently she was able to have more energy stores for her final 100 metre free and throughout her swim maintained higher drag co-efficients than anyone previously. Perhaps, in good ol' TI fashion, she is at the leading edge of a breakthrough to go beyond the mythical 10% efficiency. Great swim!
ian mac
As someone who still cherishes the beauty and pureness of sport and has had the good fortune to watch several friends and competitors win medals at the Olympics through a combination of sheer hard work, mental preparation and will I believe that Ye Shiwen's race is a breakthrough for swimmers.
Given Terry's constant assertion that in order to swim faster 1 of 3 things must occur: we increase propulsion, decrease drag or a combination of the above. Perhaps Ye Shiwen has developed her swimming technique in such a way through decreasing her drag that several things happened: by swimming more efficiently she was able to have more energy stores for her final 100 metre free and throughout her swim maintained higher drag co-efficients than anyone previously. Perhaps, in good ol' TI fashion, she is at the leading edge of a breakthrough to go beyond the mythical 10% efficiency. Great swim!
ian mac